Cardiac and skeletal muscle effects in the randomized HOPE-Duchenne trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of intracoronary allogeneic cardiosphere-derived cells (CAP-1002) in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). METHODS: The Halt Cardiomyopathy Progression (HOPE)-Duchenne trial is a phase I/II, randomized, controlled, open-label trial (NCT02485938). Patients with DMD >12 years old, with substantial myocardial fibrosis, were randomized (1:1) to usual care (control) or global intracoronary infusion of CAP-1002 (75 million cells). Participants were enrolled at 3 US medical centers between January and August 2016 and followed for 12 months. An independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board provided safety oversight. Cardiac function and structure were assessed by MRI, and analyzed by a blinded core laboratory. Skeletal muscle function was assessed by performance of the upper limb (PUL). RESULTS: Twenty-five eligible patients (mean age 17.8 years; 68% wheelchair-dependent) were randomized to CAP-1002 (n = 13) or control (n = 12). Incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar between groups. Compared to baseline, MRI at 12 months revealed significant scar size reduction and improvement in inferior wall systolic thickening in CAP-1002 but not control patients. Mid-distal PUL improved at 12 months in 8 of 9 lower functioning CAP-1002 patients, and no controls (p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Intracoronary CAP-1002 in DMD appears safe and demonstrates signals of efficacy on both cardiac and upper limb function for up to 12 months. Thus, future clinical research on CAP-1002 treatment of DMD cardiac and skeletal myopathies is warranted. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This phase I/II study provides Class II evidence that for patients with DMD, intracoronary CAP-1002 is feasible and appears safe and potentially effective.

Design of a phase 1/2 trial of intracoronary administration of AAV1/SERCA2a in patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in North America. With an aging population and an unmet clinical need by current pharmacologic and device-related therapeutic strategies, novel treatment options for HF are being explored. One such promising strategy is gene therapy to target underlying molecular anomalies in the dysfunctional cardiomyocyte. Prior animal and human studies have documented decreased expression of SERCA2a, a major cardiac calcium cycling protein, as a major defect found in HF. METHODS AND RESULTS: We hypothesize that increasing the activity of SERCA2a in patients with moderate to severe HF will improve their cardiac function, disease status, and quality of life. Gene transfer of SERCA2a will be performed via an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector, derived from a nonpathogenic virus with long-term transgene expression as well as a clinically established favorable safety profile. CONCLUSIONS: We describe the design of a phase 1 clinical trial of antegrade epicardial coronary artery infusion (AECAI) administration of AAVI/SERCA2a (MYDICAR) to subjects with HF divided into 2 stages: in Stage 1, subjects will be assigned open-label MYDICAR in one of up to 4 sequential dose escalation cohorts; in Stage 2, subjects will be randomized in parallel to 2 or 3 doses of MYDICAR or placebo in a double-blinded manner.

Alcohol consumption behaviors among athletic training students at accredited athletic training education programs in the mid-america athletic trainers' association.

CONTEXT: Alcohol consumption among college students has been evaluated at many levels, but assessment of alcohol consumption among collegiate athletic training students has not been substantially reviewed. Understanding the alcohol use of this college-age group adds to the overall literature on alcohol consumption of the college student population. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption behaviors in collegiate athletic training students using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey using the AUDIT. SETTING: The AUDIT questionnaire was sent to the program directors of all Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-accredited athletic training education programs in the Mid-America Athletic Trainers' Association. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen of the 35 athletic training education programs agreed to take part in the study, yielding a 40% response rate. Three hundred and forty-eight of the 946 athletic training students (36%) solicited agreed to participate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Maximum score on the AUDIT out of a possible score of 40. RESULTS: The mean AUDIT score for the sample was 7.47, with an SD of 5.69. Thirty-seven percent of participants demonstrated an AUDIT score of 9 or above. Nearly 18% of participants reported having 6 or more drinks at one sitting on a weekly basis. CONCLUSIONS: It is difficult to compare athletic training students' alcohol consumption with that of other student groups. The greater percentage of athletic training students does not drink in excess on a frequent basis.